Which do you think is more important, color contrast or brightness? It is one of the major differences between OLED and LED screens that television manufacturers struggle with. With the C2 and G2, LG hopes to offer the best of both worlds, in the form of an OLED television that is also very clear. Can the devices live up to these expectations?
This is a shortened version of an extensive review (link) of the LG C2 and G2 on Tweaker.
Last year, the Korean LG Electronics attracted attention last year with their C-series televisions. Not only because of the quality of the OLED display, but also because of the four HDMI 2.1 ports, a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support. They made this device not only suitable for movie buffs, but also a solid screen for gaming.
Now the successors of these popular televisions are ready in the form of the C2 series. LG promises improved image and sound processing and higher clarity through the use of new panels and smarter controls, a combination that the manufacturer calls ‘oled evo’. Above the C-series we also find the G-series: these ‘Gallery’ models are the same inside as the C-series, but are intended to hang very flat against the wall and offer a higher maximum brightness. They also cost 600 euros extra.
We put the 65-inch variant of the C2 and G2 models on the test bench to see whether LG can deliver on its promises. The question for us is not only whether these new models are better than their predecessors, but also whether these improvements are worth the much higher prices. Because with an introductory price of respectively 3,000 and 3,499 euros for the C2 and G2, these are certainly not cheap devices, certainly not compared to their predecessors.
Less heat, clearer image
When we look at the differences between the C2 and G2, the first thing that strikes you is the appearance. The C2 is a thin device and is 4.5 centimeters deep at its thickest point, where most of the electronics are located. The G2 is an even 2.5 centimeters deep, so that the device fits perfectly flat against the wall. But the difference is more than just cosmetic. The G2 has a thin metal layer behind the screen that can dissipate the heat from the panel as a heatsink. This makes it possible to control the panel harder without it overheating, which leads to higher brightness.
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Compared to its predecessor, the G2 is clearly brighter. It is even safe to say that the device is the brightest OLED television we have reviewed so far. That’s not only because of the heatsink, but also because of newer, more efficient panels, improved software and the new α9 Gen5 AI processor. This can control the panels in a smarter way, so that locally more energy is available to light up the pixels. The same improvements can be found in the C2, but there the higher brightness is visible to a much lesser extent than in the G2. And with the G2, it must be said that that high brightness is only really well reflected in the highlights with HDR playback. Both devices ultimately remain less bright than televisions with an LCD panel.
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In addition to the brightness, LG has also made a number of improvements in the field of image processing. The result is an even more accurate color reproduction and above all a slightly better reproduction of shadow details. And because both panels have the same image processing and the same type of OLED panel, there is no difference between the C2 and G2 in terms of image quality. Both are among the best televisions we’ve ever tested.
Painful price tag
If we look purely at the quality of the product, the C2 and G2 are highly recommended. In practice, however, we cannot ignore the price. Maybe it’s inflation, maybe parts shortages or higher margins, but these devices are marketed at a higher price than their predecessors last year. And those cheaper predecessors are still readily available, for now greatly reduced prices. This concerns a price difference of around 1,000 euros, an additional cost that is difficult to justify if you currently want to buy an LG OLED television.
The C2 and G2 are excellent OLED televisions, with the G2 having an extra edge because of its higher brightness. But because of that price tag, their predecessors remain a more logical choice for the time being.
